Best Beach Near Disney World?

[bnstiles@telus.net]

We are staying onsite for 5 days at Pop Century and then 5 days with a car at The Parkway International. Does anyone have a suggestion on the best beach to go to for a day? Looking for a good place to swim and maybe a good place to get fish and chips etc. Thanks from Canada!

 

[sammyo]

We just returned from a six day trip to Orlando--stayed at Bonnet Creek Resort, but didn't do WDW or other parks. We drove to the Clearwater Beach area one day and went to Caladesi Island on the Gulf. It was very nice, but probably not something we would do again. We had a very good meal in Dunedin, at Sea Sea Riders Restaurant. The traffic from Orlando to the Gulf was very heavy both going over and coming back, and took approx. 90+ minutes.

Another day we drove to Cocoa Beach, on the Atlantic, and enjoyed the beach for a few hours. Beach access was plentiful as the city has two or three public parks/parking areas that have restrooms, showers, etc. Traffic to Cocoa was much lighter and a quicker trip than the Gulf. We would definitely choose Cocoa over the Gulf side, for ease of getting there, beach access, etc. Cocoa Beach has a huge Ron Jon Surf Shop that had everything beach-related and decent prices too.

I used Tripadvisor to look at restaurants, things to do, etc. and found their ratings to be pretty reliable with what we saw and did. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[ParrotBill]

You can get to great beaches on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from WDW in a little over an hour. Do you have a preference for Atlantic waves (possibly rough depending on weather) or for warmer calmer gulf waters?

For the Atlantic, you have endless beaches from Daytona north and from Cocoa Beach south, with many public access points. For less crowded, head south for Melbourne Beach or get all the way north of Daytona.

My preference is the Gulf side (less anxious about my 9 year old daughter playing in the shallow water here too.)

The busier areas (with more services) run from Clearwater Beach south to St. Pete Beach. The quieter spot is jsut north at Honeymoon Beach State Park. Then there is Caledesi Island State Park, accessible only by water, via a boat shuttle that leaves from Honeymoon State Park. You must pay $9 per adult for the shuttle (after paying for state park admission at Honeymoon's gate.) You can stay only 4 hours, you get a specific return time you must take. But let me tell you, the beach is worth it.

2 miles of nearly deserted beach with calm warm waters. We watched dolphins play offshore much of the time we spent there. We took a small cooler but you can get snacks and drinks there also. You can rent a couple of chairs and an umbrella if you choose. Yes, it added up - we spend maybe $50 in the process... but I don't regret the money at all! Another idea... Rent Kayaks on the causeway before you get into Honeymoon. Paddle 1/2 mile over to the north end of Caledesi which is a scenic broad sandy area with very shallow waters surrounding it.

 

[bnstiles@telus.net]

Thanks for the input - much appreciated. Thanks from Alberta, Canada. If anyone has other ideas please add to post!